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McGill, News

McGill residences facing greater restrictions amid COVID-19 surge

by Adrienne Roy on

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The Winter 2022 semester has started off in uncertainty as the Omicron variant gives rise to unprecedented COVID-19 case numbers and the university moves to implement new restrictions.

In a Jan. 4 email, Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS) informed students in residences that dining halls, gyms, and common areas would be closed indefinitely and that residents could only entertain one guest, from their same residence, at a given time. For residents in double rooms, no guests are allowed. Despite recognizing that public safety is a priority, residents have voiced concerns about widespread mental health problems, reporting feeling discouraged, disappointed, and neglected by both Quebec policymakers and McGill. 

Many students have opted to stay home for the duration of online learning, while others have returned to Montreal: McGill recently reported a presence of approximately 6,000 employees and students on campus per day. 

Kendal Williams, U0 Education, is among those who choose to return to campus. In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Williams detailed feeling isolated by SHHS restrictions to the detriment of her mental health.

“We can’t have dinner with a friend because [the] cafeteria is closed, we can’t study with a peer because we can’t have anyone over into our dorm room, we can’t go work out to help our mental health because the gym is closed, and we can’t go to a common room to see a friend or study because it is closed,” Williams said. “Overall this wave of COVID-19 has affected us all, but with the strict restrictions placed by [SHHS], it is only making students’ mental health worse.”

Solin Hall resident Alice Dubois, U1 Arts, echoed a similar statement when she spoke to the Tribune, stating that the restrictions exacerbate existing mental health issues.

“Online classes are depressing enough, plus seasonal depression,” Dubois said. “If we can’t spend time with our friends in our apartments, or even go to libraries to change environments and have a place to focus, this is going to be a really rough semester.”

Marketing communication manager of SHHS, Monique Lauzon, detailed the support channels currently accessible to students.

“Our residence life team, composed of floor fellows and residence life manager and our mental health counsellor (residence LWA), actively supports students in need through different events and programming activities,” Lauzon wrote in an email to the Tribune. “As well, we help to orient students to the appropriate mental health resources that are available through McGill’s Student Services / Wellness Hub.” 

Of the services Lauzon mentioned, the Wellness Hub is notoriously challenging to access. Lauzon also reiterated that administrators are doing what they can and delivering updates to residents when possible.

“We rely on the government for directives,” Lauzon wrote. “Our priority is to dispense accurate updates to both students and staff in a timely fashion [….] We also reinforce messaging via our social media platforms and digital screens.”

Laughing Matters, Opinion

Scenes from a conference

by Matthew Molinaro on

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To prepare their readers for online conferences, The McGill Tribune unearthed scenes from various breakout rooms and class discussions over the last five years

Gender Studies

Yeah, I mean, and this is just speaking from experience, Judith Butler might be projecting a bit, don’t you think? Like we get that you perform as a member of the diverse LGBTQ community, but there’s got to be deeper meaning there. I actually used to do improv on Thursday nights at the Second City, the one in Toronto; it’s pretty exclusive if you run in improv circles, so performance is just in my blood. Here are my questions: Who is Butler performing to? Can I get a ticket to see them in action? And that obviously connects to moving hands from chest to head the world around us because there are stages and gender and women, of course.

History

No, I don’t know the date when the Treaty of Paris was signed, but I’ll tell you something more useful. I totally recognize my position of influence as a student of history, because like we study the wars and the fights for justice. It’s not just the past—it’s the present, it’s the future. I’m not so sure everyone knows that, we aren’t that simple, right. One thing I’m becoming increasingly aware of is that just because colonialism ended doesn’t always mean that it has though. So, what do we need to do? I’ll leave you with that food for thought. Maybe you could look at our history and get back to us?

English Literature

Toni Morrison, wow what an author? Right, guys? And what a name? Toni? Must have been a risk in the 1970s. polite laughter. So what was up with that woman killing her baby or whatever? That’s child abuse, and that is wrong. Period. Full stop. I’ve supported children my entire life, always taken on this sort of proto-father role, no exceptions. Did that just happen in Ohio or is that an American thing? The movie was good though. Did you know Oprah’s an actor and not just a Black woman who likes butter in her coffee? And she has a book club?

International Development Studies

We have to be reasonable here. If we accept that the purpose of development is to enact change, we have to reconsider what change and development actually mean, wouldn’t you think? What if there are some reasons that inequalities are in place? Like, that’s the economy? Isn’t that just inevitable? My point is, who am I to interfere, right? I’m, of course, only talking about Europe. That’s not true of the Middle East, Africa, most of Asia, and South America though, as they need us! If you remember correctly and pay attention to the news, you would remember that we as Canadians, as citizens of this country, set the best example for the world. 

Political Science

If I could just––and I’m not going to say play the devil’s advocate, that’s bad now, I guess liberals just get what they want––speak to another perspective that is much-needed in this setting and in this cultural milieu, or cancel-culture environment if you’d put it that way, is that politicians make mistakes. Makes eye contact with every member in the conference. That’s life. That’s reality. That’s, therefore also, what politics is. Just to kind of circle back to my own life, I’ve started to realize that, like what noted theorist John Rawls says, dramatic pause we live in a society, and that hurts politics, because society links to politics and back to society. 

Philosophy

I’m not going to lie, I had a pretty busy weekend. I won’t bore you with the details, but I was in the audience when Slavoj Zizek debated McGill alum Jordan Peterson, so I’d consider that an extraordinary reason for not doing the reading. I’d beg this question: What if there were 500 people instead of 5 people in the trolley problem? I’ve seen The Good Place a few times, even though I don’t think Jameela Jamil’s funny, and thus I’d argue that numbers and ethics matter in real life, especially when we are alive.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

‘Don’t Look Up’ is a bad joke with no punchline

by Courtney Squires on

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With a laughably talented cast and a whopping $75-million budget, Netflix’s original film Don’t Look Up generates lofty expectations that it ultimately fails to meet. The film follows astronomers Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) and Dr. Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio)’s attempt to warn the U.S. government and general public about a comet large enough to cause mass extinction barrelling toward earth. By extension, it aims to provide social commentary on how a global population responds to, or simply ignores, crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Over the course of the film, the protagonists’ concern for the future of the human species meets humorously grudging resistance from characters that walk a precarious line of clichés. Don’t Look Up emphasizes the danger of apathy, and media-fuelled politics’ twisting of facts—even as morbid as imminent extinction—into headlines palatable for public consumption. The forced humour and supersaturated clichés detract from the film’s political punch, and bury the moral of the story. 

Directed and produced by Adam McKay, the film’s impressive cast and contemporary relevance have attracted much buzz. Regardless of which celebrity’s appearance they anticipated, viewers flocked to Netflix’s streaming platform, amassing over 111 million hours of watch-time in the film’s first two days of release. From a laissez-faire U.S. president (Meryl Streep), to incessantly positive news hosts (Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry), to a socially anxious billionaire (Mark Rylance), the characters are distinct in their portrayal, yet trite in their stock. 

The film’s characters border on the annoying and one-dimensional. Scattered cameos of other actors—such as Ariana Grande’s musical appearance—provide little purpose other than shock value and name recognition. Numerous political allusions are made, though the most obvious is that of the U.S. president and her chief of staff, who bear semblance to the Trump family. Although Streep’s performance as the U.S. President is comedic, it is cartoony—and her son (Jonah Hill) simply fulfills the stereotype of the bland, spoiled rich kid. However, Timothée Chalamet provides genuine comic relief, and rumours that he improvised much of his role are believable. The two protagonists, Kate and Dr. Mindy, manage to narrowly subvert stereotypes: Their frustration evokes sympathy, and their flaws and character development feel authentic. 

Still, after two agonizingly slow hours of brain-numbing dialogue, perhaps the most redeemable scene is the last one. It is a well executed balance of calmness and dread, aptly conveying the Everything-Is-Totally-Fine mindset with a biblical nod to the Last Supper. In the simplicity of the dinner party, an almost uncomfortable feeling of acceptance radiates out, allowing for a perfectly melancholy ending. As the rest of the film leaned heavily into satire, here it feels like it’s finally giving up, just like its characters. It is the one scene where jokes are not unnaturally forced into the script and viewers are not spoon-fed political allusions. It stands out as a different caliber of cinematography than the rest of the film.


Ironically, the film itself experiences the same struggles as its protagonists, as its own execution distracts from the main message: We are all going to die if we don’t do something soon. Don’t Look Up was advertised as a political comedy, and though jokes are littered throughout the script, it simply is not very funny. Whether intentional or not, the failed humour of the film acts as a thinly veiled coping mechanism for the societal collapse it alludes to. But as jarring as Kate’s profane explosion on live television was, it seems that seeing Timothée Chalamet sport a mullet or one too many of Jonah Hill’s cringe-worthy remarks is enough to steal the media spotlight. So, like the Dibiasky comet, it seems the moral of this film has gone right over most people’s heads.

Commentary, Opinion

Ask for an extension, I dare you

by Courtney Squires on

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With finals period now a distant memory and the add/drop period beginning, stress levels are subsiding as students leave the last semester behind. However, between harsh syllabi guidelines and stigma surrounding asking for help, asking for extensions is often the last thing students want to do. In a competitive atmosphere where prestige is valued over mental health, McGill fosters a toxic environment where students are reluctant to ask for extensions. But as we enter the new semester, hindsight is key—be it 20/20 or in 2022, and students should not hesitate to ask for extensions when they need them. 

In many syllabi, asking for extensions is explicitly discouraged, with strict requirements in place to prevent students from pursuing them. Professors often plan out a grading schedule ahead of time, leaving students responsible to manage their own time for assignments. Especially in the midst of a pandemic, where health-care systems are already overwhelmed, medical notes might not be as easily accessible or be the doctor’s first priority. On top of this, assignment deadlines seem firm, unbendable, and unapproachable, contributing to the idea that professors are unwilling to provide any sort of leniency. This generalization, however, cannot be made for all professors; many of them are understanding and happy to extend deadlines. 

A blanket overstatement of formality seems to be a common theme: Students often feel dissuaded from even emailing their professors. And the immense level of scrutiny and effort that students put into writing their emails is rarely matched by their professors. Though understandable, this kind of attitude deters newer university students from asking for help, clarification, or expansion of lesson material. 

McGill, a university filled with overachieving students who are constantly being chased by the threat of academic burnout, is, at its core, a breeding ground for competition. A level of academic prestige, derived from the common high school mantra, “Professors won’t be this lenient in university!” often prevents students from feeling like it is okay to ask for help. Aside from being academically isolating, especially during the pandemic, a competitive atmosphere like McGill demands the impossible: Get perfect grades, and do it all by yourself.

Furthermore, with thousands of the best students from across Canada—and the world—competing for top grades, asking for an extension carries with it an academic stigma. Because everyone else is assigned the same deadline, if a student cannot make that deadline, it can falsely perpetuate the idea that they are somehow less competent than the others. Asking for extensions should be normalized, as there are often factors out of students’ control, whether mental, physical, or situational, that might affect their ability to complete an assignment on time. 

Students need to do their part to combat this toxic academic environment and understand that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Beyond individual efforts, students should voice concerns to their faculty’s curriculum committees, or the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)’s VP University Affairs. Talk about supporting students throughout the pandemic has suffered from hollow and inconsistent follow through. Students should ask for extensions when they need them, raise awareness in committees that have the possibility to make substantial changes—such as re-instating the S/U policy—and push their student leaders to advocate for their needs. 

McGill, News

Return to remote learning leaves students feeling ‘demotivated’

by Sabrina Nelson on

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On Dec. 31, Fabrice Labeau, McGill’s Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning), sent an email to the McGill community announcing that all learning except for Tier 1 activities would be held online until Jan. 24. Tier 1 activities include clinical activities, project courses, and various activities in music. This announcement follows recent health measures, including closing dining rooms and enforcing a curfew from 10 PM to 5 AM, which the Quebec Government implemented to help slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Basile Guichard, U3 Arts and executive director at Player’s Theatre, said he was ‘saddened’ when he heard that the second semester of his last year at McGill would be starting online.

“I felt so hopeful last semester where most of my classes were in person and we could enjoy the library and have in-person extracurriculars.” Guichard wrote in an email to //The McGill Tribune//. “I am very hopeful that we’ll be back in person, and [that] by the time the spring comes back, we as a community can enjoy Montreal and McGill fully.”

Some students are skeptical of a return to in-person teaching by Jan. 24. Marco Kim, U3 Arts and president of the  Mcgill Students’ Anime Club, will have spent half of his time at McGill online by the time he graduates. Kim expects online classes to last until the end of February, considering the highly infectious nature of the Omicron variant.

“It is very demotivating to miss out on such a large part of what I consider essential to the university experience” Kim wrote to the //Tribune//. “But what can be done? McGill does not have the power to stop the Omicron variant, only discretion in how to react to it. This is not how university was supposed to go, but we must endure as best we can.”

Sophie Hart, U4 Arts and founder of Mobilizing for Milton Parc (M4MP), explained she was surprised that it had taken McGill this long to shift to online schooling, especially when many universities in Ontario had already called off in-person exams and rescheduled them for the new year.

“I think it’s unacceptable that they kept exams in person for the entire exam period even when Montreal entered a state of emergency,” Hart said. “It seems like McGill is always multiple steps behind other universities’ safety measures, which puts students and staff at risk. I hope we stay online until I graduate in April.” 

McGill student groups have found ways to adapt and keep members engaged through posting on social media and conducting events over Zoom. Kim explained that an important part of the Anime Club is the social interaction that it offers. Since the start of online teaching in 2020, they have become accustomed to hosting events online, often through Discord. SSMU (Students’ Society of McGill) have been responsive and have helped clubs through their adaptation. 

“We will just go back to what we were doing in Fall 2020, not much will change.” Kim wrote. “We have adequate online resources for our events, though these are largely independent of McGill.The use of the SSMU email has been helpful though.”

Hart explained that she does not feel comfortable asking volunteers at M4MP to do in-person volunteering. However, volunteers will continue to prepare meals in their respective homes for The Open Door and other community serving organizations when requested.  

“There’s less of a connection between volunteers and neighbours which is what we intend to build.” Hart wrote. “It’s extremely unfortunate, but the safety of our community is our first priority.” 

Guichard finds that, despite difficulty staying motivated and optimistic during these times, he is comforted by the knowledge that he is not the only one going through this. 

“I find comfort and resilience in my peers. This pandemic is something that, for better or for worse, is going to make all of us stronger and more ready for our futures.” Guichard said. “To the first-years, I want to say, don’t be discouraged, you’ll be able to have the ‘university experience’ before you know it.”  

Science & Technology

Storming the ivory tower: Students securing research opportunities in STEM

by Adam Matthews-Kott on

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For many undergraduates, it can be challenging to find opportunities to learn the applied skills of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in a classroom setting. Being trapped memorizing facts only to regurgitate them during midterms and finals can quickly stifle the enthusiasm that students would have otherwise brought to the scientific community. As a result, many students at McGill search for alternative ways of practicing scientific methods and propelling their careers forward in STEM.

It can be daunting, however, to find research opportunities and co-ops without prior knowledge of the opaque inner workings of academia. Nevertheless, there are students who prevail, and hearing their stories can hopefully guide others in pursuing their own goals.

Hadrien Helfgott, a U2 student studying cognitive science wanted to get a more hands-on feel for the subject, so he contacted with his academic advisor to explore his options. 

“I told my academic advisor that I was interested in labs, and he sent me an old list of labs and professors that were recruiting at the time,” Helfgott said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “I emailed a paragraph introducing myself and I told them that I was interested in their project. [Before applying] I would read scientific articles on their project so that I had a good idea about what they did [….] The seventh professor emailed me back.”

The professor was running an experiment that required participants, so Helfgott experienced the lab as a participant before coming back to run the experiment himself. Being a participant, Helfgott explained, allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of the purpose of the experiment.

“I can’t talk too much about the experiment obviously, but it involves putting EEG caps on people and measuring their brain waves while we observe specific stimuli,” Helfgott said. “We look at how their brains respond to the stimuli and that allows us to draw our conclusions.”

Darren Li, a U1 student studying quantitative biology, holds a fair amount of experience in lab work. Having reached out to professors in his first semester at McGill, he has been assisting at the Pollock Quantitative Biodiversity Lab research lab for over six months and continues to work into his most recent semester.

“I just went on to the biology [faculty] website and chose professors that I was interested in working with. [Laura Pollock] was the first professor that I contacted and we met and talked about it,” Li said in an interview with the Tribune. 

After reaching out to the professor, Li quickly found a role within the lab.

“I made a trait database for every single vertebrate in Canada,” Li said. “And now the lab can use my database […] to publish recommendations on which lands to protect based on different metrics.”

Like Li, U1 pharmacology student Alia Devasahayam decided to reach out to a professor who inspired her. After taking CHEM 120, Devasahayam emailed Pallavi Sirjoosingh to see how she could work with her in the future.

“I was always interested in [science], but after meeting [Professor Sirjoosingh] I was interested in doing it with her,” Devasahayam said in an interview with the Tribune. “Hearing about her work and how she talks about science, it made me think, ‘Yeah, now I’m into it too.’”

Devashayam is also part of the Tomlinson Engagement Award for Mentoring (TEAM). Founded in 2001, TEAM was created to allow students to assist in the teaching of a multitude of courses at McGill. TEAM students are selected to provide peer mentoring to other undergrad students. For Devasahayam, the process of joining TEAM was as easy as contacting her professor, completing a form, and undergoing a selection process.

“Last semester I was a lecture help, so I was answering questions during the lectures, which was really interesting because a lot of people ask questions that aren’t in the textbook,” Devasahayam said. “They’re so curious and I love that.”

The consensus among the students interviewed was that pursuing extracurricular activities in the STEM fields allowed them to develop a deeper practical understanding of their chosen disciplines while creating memorable experiences along the way. It goes to show that there’s more to science than can be found in the classroom, and that there are fantastic opportunities awaiting for those who seek them out.

Sports

Next up: Top sports events to catch in 2022

by Sarah Farnand, Madison Mclauchlan on

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2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in February will boast a range of exciting events, from popular sports like hockey, skiing, and figure skating, to more unique sports, like the skeleton, the luge, and bobsled. These Games will feature 45 per cent female athletes, the largest share to ever compete in the Winter Olympics, due in part to the introduction of more mixed-gender events like the freestyle skiing aerials and snowboard cross. Notable Canadian athletes to watch for include ice dancing duo Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, as well as bobsledder Cynthia Appiah. On the Paralympic side, notable athletes include Josh Dueck, the first athlete to land a backflip on a sit-ski; Brian McKeever, Canada’s most decorated Paralympian who will retire after the 2022 Games; Ina Forrest, who is looking for her fourth medal in wheelchair curling; and Billy Bridges, one of the most accomplished Canadian Para ice hockey players, who hopes to lead his team to gold against the top-ranked U.S. team.

The Games’ have been shrouded in controversy due to China’s human rights violations, namely their detainment of Uyghurs, a mostly Muslim ethnic minority, in the Xinjiang region. Several countries floated the idea of boycotting the Games, but as it stands, none have officially rescinded their participation—and neither have any competing athletes. Instead, Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia have announced a “diplomatic boycott,” where government officials will not attend the Games. As for pandemic restrictions, Chinese officials are planning to welcome spectators from mainland China who meet the vaccine requirements, in contrast to the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were played in empty stadiums. 

Fallout from the MLB lockout

The Major League Baseball (MLB) offseason is always rife with dramatic deals, trades, and contract negotiations. But in December 2021, after the Atlanta Braves took home their first World Series title in nearly 30 years, the MLB imposed a lockout. This comes after a labour dispute between the Player’s Association and the league teams, and their disagreement on player salaries and the competitive disparities among different teams. During this work stoppage, teams are barred from communicating with players, even about simple things like workout regimes, and players are locked out from training facilities. Though the lockout is intended to put pressure on the union to speed up negotiations, the shutdown may extend into the beginning of the regular season, which is slated to start on March 31. Regardless, these restrictions will undoubtedly reduce players’ abilities to build team chemistry and adequately prepare for the start of the season. 

Djokovic’s chance at greatness

The Serbian tennis star walked away with the 2021 Wimbledon title, and this year, has the chance to surpass Nadal and Federer for the most Grand Slams of all time. All three greats are tied for 20 apiece, but Djokovic has not been plagued by injury like the other two—that is, if he can even get into the Australian Open. Originally unable to enter the country due to his unvaccinated status, and now waiting to see if the Australian government will cancel his visa, it is unclear whether he will have the chance to compete for the major title. Currently, there is an online campaign to #BoycottAustralianOpen in support of Djokovic’s decision to not get vaccinated; on the other hand, many Australian citizens are against the player flouting the regulations and endangering others. Despite his anti-science stance, the tennis player has donated millions of euros to COVID-19 relief funds in three different countries. Barring what happens (or doesn’t) in Melbourne, Wimbledon in July will serve as another opportunity for the trifecta of tennis masters to tiebreak their three-way majors lead, and is not to be missed. 

2022 FIFA World Cup

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is the first to take place in the Middle East, held in Qatar this November. While the milestone is welcomed by many, the host country has come under scrutiny for allegedly bribing FIFA officials for their bid, and using migrant labour to build the stadiums. Potentially qualifying teams for the tournament include Canada, the United States, and Mexico from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). Italy and Portugal have yet to hash it out in the European playoffs, so there is a chance that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be playing in Qatar. The favourites to take home the cup this year are Belgium, Italy, and the Netherlands; however, that could all change if Italy does not qualify. As for women’s soccer, the qualifying competition for both the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Olympics will take place in July.

Will Tiger Woods return to the Masters? 

Casual and dedicated golf fans alike were shaken when Tiger Woods, arguably the best golfer to ever grace the green, was injured in a life-threatening car accident in February of 2021. He shattered his ankle and suffered two fractures to his legs. After news broke that he would make a full recovery, the world has been waiting to see if, or when, he will make his return to professional golf. After coming second place in the 2021 PNC Championships with his son Charlie, the odds of Woods playing in the Masters shot up significantly. He told reporters after the tournament that he would not return to competition anytime soon, but many fans are still hopeful that he will attend, if not play in, the Masters. More likely is that he will return to the course for the British Open, whose St. Andrews course has fewer hills to climb. 

NHL Stanley Cup playoffs and the implosion of the Habs

The 2022 Stanley Cup has a myriad of possible contenders. The Colorado Avalanche, despite failing to make the conference finals since 2002, are a favourite to win. Tampa Bay is another team favoured to do well in the playoffs this year. The Lightning have won the Stanley Cup two years in a row, and the only people rooting for a three-peat are Lightning fans. Tampa Bay’s cross-state rivals, the Florida Panthers, are also having a strong season and could potentially pose a challenge to the defending champions as they are currently tied. In the Metropolitan division, the Carolina Hurricanes are dominant, a shift that could see the organization winning its second-ever Stanley Cup championship. Unfortunately, the Montreal Canadiens, having won only seven of their 35 total games, will not be in contention for the cup this year. The only Canadian team with a real chance of winning is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Just behind the Lightning in terms of points, the Leafs have a roster filled with star players. If they can find a way to make it past the first round of the playoffs, the Leafs could be a team to be reckoned with.

(Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports)

Formula 1 Season

2022 will bring with it a new car design and a longer season. While the season will feature a new Miami Grand Prix, favourite courses such as Montreal will be reinstated after the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from hosting in previous years. There will be several exciting battles between teams that finished neck-and-neck in the 2021 season. Ferrari and McLaren will be battling for third place this season, with Mercedes and Redbull a fairly certain top two. Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris have breathed life back into their respective teams and will be extremely exciting to watch this season. Unfortunately for Mercedes, George Russell is ranked eighth in the power rankings, a gap that might allow other teams to better challenge the defending champs. In the midfield, the triple As—Alpine, Aston Martin, and AlphaTauri—will battle it out once again. Pierre Gasly for AlphaTauri is a phenomenal driver and will keep his team in the hunt for fifth place in 2022. Aston Martin finished significantly behind the other two teams in 2021, and while they may have potential, most of it comes from billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll’s potential to spend money. However, he will have to contend with the new spending cap of $140 million for 2022, which aims to give smaller-budget teams a better chance at victory.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Canada, the U.S., and Mexico had qualified for the FIFA World Cup. In fact, all three countries are only potential qualifiers. The Tribune regrets this error.

Creative

Stand with Wet’suwet’en – McGill University’s Need to Divest

by Noah Vaton on

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Multimedia Editor Noah Vaton attends the event held on December 1st that was hosted by Divest McGill and other organizations. The event was in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en after recent violent arrests have been made on those defending the land from the Coastal GasLink Pipeline. In addition, Divest McGill urges McGill University to divest from TC Energy Corp., the company behind the pipeline.

Features

It’s the friends you make along the way

by Adam Burton on

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Everybody has something they’re overly attached to. Whether it’s that old stuffed tiger you had as a kid, or the ever-growing jungle of houseplants taking up your entire living room, we often develop emotional attachments to the inanimate objects that colour our lives. A select few, however, take this a step further. For a certain class of Mile End fuckboys, dads going through a midlife crisis, and general gearheads, bikes are more than possessions. It’s hard to explain what makes cycling so attractive; some do it for the aesthetic, some for the health benefits, and others just like turning an old piece of junk into something new. 

For Elias Andraos, U3 Science, part of the appeal is being able to roll up his sleeves and get his hands greasy. In his spare time, he runs a bike salvage shop out of his backyard and kitchen. 

Andraos’ love affair with grease and gears began when he started commuting to school on an old beater because of his chronic knee pain. One fateful morning, his rear axle snapped, and he was left bikeless and stranded. Devoid of options, he entered McGill’s bike co-op, the Flat Bike Collective, and found just what he needed.

Nicknamed “the Flat,” “ the Flat Bike Collective is a hub at McGill for all things bike. It offers concrete education, inviting students to come to learn how to fix their bikes with their own tools, and it also offers workshops on bike maintenance. But the Flat also makes bikes accessible to more students by selling them for cheap. 

“This one guy Tommy helped me take a look at it,” Andraos recalled. “He kind of just showed me how easy it was to fix these things. Of course, you do need some tools, but the tools are fairly minimal. It just kind of blew my mind that you could just fix bikes that easily. So then I started tinkering more on that bike.”

Andraos’ fascination quickly grew, and after messing around with a few trashed bikes given to him by friends, he decided to make fixing up old bikes a mainstay in his life. He has made a practice out of finding scrap bikes for almost nothing and fixing them up for free and gifting them to his friends.

“I started just browsing Kijiji for broken bicycles, and it’s amazing,” Andraos explained. “You can find someone’s broken stuff there and fix them up. After a while, I didn’t have any friends without bikes anymore, so I started selling them on the listserv of the outdoor club.”

During the many lockdowns last year, repairing beat-up bikes was a great way for Andraos to occupy his hands and mind. 

“I just really needed that kind of aspect of working with my hands and seeing the progress,” Andraos said. “You have some unreadable piece of junk, and you work on it, and it becomes better.” Since the re-opening of in-person activities at McGill, Andraos has started volunteering at the Flat.

McGill, News

Recovery amid the silence about sexual violence at McGill

by Juliet Morrison on

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TW: Sexual violence

On paper, the McGill administration’s response to sexual violence is framed around supporting survivors and creating a safe campus space. These objectives are outlined in the university’s Policy Against Sexual Violence, in addition to their prevention resources and procedures for reporting and investigating. The policy also states that it values both “trauma-informed investigations” and “procedural fairness.” 

In December 2020, a petition that garnered upwards of 50,000 signatures called on McGill to acknowledge and enact safety measures to protect students after multiple assault allegations surfaced against a student in McGill’s New Residence. 

Despite significant media attention and calls from the wider community to address the allegations, McGill’s only communication with the student body was a series of tweets and a single email stating that they were aware of the situation and were examining the allegations. A year after the alleged incidents occurred, the case is assumed to have been resolved—McGill policy states investigations must be conducted and concluded within 90 days of its initiation. 

The lack of transparency around sexual violence cases can be attributed to Quebec legislation on privacy, specifically the province’s Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information. In a statement to The McGill Tribune, Frédérique Mazerolle, a McGill media relations officer, addressed this legal constraint, speaking to how it affects McGill’s response to sexual violence reports and investigations.

“McGill may not share information on any particular case, ongoing investigation, or on investigation outcomes since—like all universities in the province—the university is bound by Quebec privacy law,” Mazerolle wrote. 

The act prohibits institutions from disclosing any disciplinary measures imposed on the accused, including to the survivor. The nature of this policy has resulted in it being dubbed Quebec’s “Code of Silence.” Students across Quebec have called for the act to be amended to allow universities to inform survivors of any sanctions imposed on the offender. A group at UQAM composed of researchers and survivors of sexual violence convened in June to investigate how the province’s privacy laws affect disclosures of sexual assault in university settings.

The Quebec government has adopted legislation revamping the privacy laws the UQAM group is interested in. The new legislation, once rolled-out, will allow educational institutions like McGill to share the disciplinary procedures taken against the accused with survivors confidentially. The sharing of the outcomes will not extend to the wider public, however. 

The lack of transparency surrounding investigations has made some students feel unsafe on campus. Andi Bloom, U1 Arts and a student involved in publicizing last year’s petition on the allegations of sexual assault in New Residence, where she lived at the time, said she noticed that students living in residence were constantly on edge. 

“I know being in [residence] last year, students really did feel very anxious all the time, especially when we didn’t even know if the perpetrator was in the building or not,” Bloom said. “We did not know whether we were going to bump into him in the hall [….] It was a very triggering thing for many people. We did not know if there would be consequences for his actions [….] There was nothing.”

Taylor*, a U1 student and survivor of sexual assault at McGill, argued that the legal framework in Quebec on sexual violence hinders campus safety and community support due to the lack of public accountability. 

“There are a lot of things that would make me and a lot of other students feel a lot safer,” Taylor said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “But it’s not feasible without completely readjusting the legal framework. I guess number one, people want to know if someone’s been held accountable. McGill is sworn to confidentiality, which is understandable, but also pretty terrible [that McGill’s] hands are tied. There are so many policies in place that they have to put legalities before their students.” 

McGill provides various resources offering support for survivors on campus, such as the Office of Sexual Violence for Response, Support and Education (OSVRSE), and the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS). These organizations support survivors and provide education on sexual violence. 

In an interview with the Tribune, OSVRSE’s sexual violence education advisor, Maha Cherid, discussed OSVRSE’s efforts in supporting survivors and working to foster a campus free from sexual violence. 

“We are really working on trying to make sure that everyone feels like they can be here, that their place is considered just as worthy as anybody else’s,” Cherid said. “We emphasize the survivor-centric, trauma-informed approach, [and] acknowledging the trauma not only on the person, but on the community [….] Everything that we do in our work is to provide a sense that [survivors] can reach out to us anytime and we will do our best to provide as much support as we can.”

While the organizations provide critical support to survivors throughout formal investigations, the services and accommodations offered at McGill have their limits.

“Once the investigation process is over, [since OSVRSE’s] counselors or social workers are not technically therapists, […] they kind of let go of you more or less,” Taylor said. “You can still check in but your routine appointments aren’t there anymore. It is just kind of jarring because who you are working closely with for a long time throughout an investigation process, you just pretty much lose that contact and you lose that consistency, the minute the process is done. You get your debrief and you are kind of left on your own.” 

As Taylor noted, this weak support network can leave survivors to deal with the lasting repercussions of their trauma mostly on their own. It can also be difficult for survivors to adapt to a learning setting whilst dealing with trauma, given the inflexibility of McGill’s academic accommodations. 

“The repercussions of being a survivor of sexual assault last long-term,” Taylor said. “It is psychological trauma, you’re still dealing with that long after you’re in your window of extenuating circumstances. So it is a challenge for McGill students to readjust.” 

The lack of clarity surrounding McGill’s reporting procedures is another element many students  believe prevents survivors from coming forward. Jessica Macknofsky, U2 Arts, stressed that transparency is crucial in encouraging survivors to come forward.

“I think it is really important to have transparency on how [McGill] handles certain reports,” Macknofsky said in an interview with the Tribune. “When they are transparent in their proceedings, other [people] who are going through the same thing will be more inclined to go toward them when something occurs. Right now I don’t see [people] being inclined to report whatsoever.” 

In an effort to increase awareness of the various reporting avenues and campus supports for sexual violence, McGill launched the Office for Mediation and Reporting (OMR) last spring. The OMR centralizes information about sexual violence reporting and support services at McGill. The university also promotes its various reporting channels through the “Supporting Survivors” module in the mandatory sexual violence education program It Takes All of Us. 

Bloom felt that although the administration is willing to support survivors, they still fall short in the face of certain policy technicalities. 

“I really do believe that they try to [be survivor-centric],” Bloom said. “I don’t think in practice it has been carried out effectively. The way that I was interacting with the administration [last year] really felt very pessimistic.”

Bloom also acknowledged that while the administration’s technical stance on last year’s case may have been necessary considering the legal constraints, a little more “humanity” from the administration might have been beneficial for survivors.

“We sort of felt from the get go that there were much more social movements than there were administrative movements. The students really seemed to want to care about this, they wanted to feel safe, they wanted to feel protected, they wanted some semblance of justice to happen,” Bloom said. “Through McGill it felt very bureaucratic, very logistical, very technical, which I get sometimes is what it has to be, but oftentimes that is not what people need.”

*Taylor’s name has been changed to preserve their anonymity.


For any member of the McGill community in need of support regarding sexual violence, the OMR can be reached at 514-398-6419 or [email protected], OSVRSE can be reached at 514 398 3954 or [email protected], and SACOMSS can be reached at (514) 398-8500 or [email protected].

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